Peripheral Device Transducer Configuration

1. A peripheral device comprising: a first housing part and a second housing part flexibly coupled together, the peripheral device configured to be operated in an open mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie adjacent to each other such that the peripheral device forms a stand that is usable for a user terminal and a closed mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie facing each other; at least one sensor configured to determine whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode; at least one transducer directed in a first orientation suitable for operating in the closed mode; at least one further transducer directed in a further orientation suitable for operating in the open mode; and control logic for controlling the at least one transducer and the at least one further transducer based on the at least one sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode.

2. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is a speaker transducer directed in the first orientation, and the at least one further transducer is a further speaker transducer directed in an orientation opposite the first orientation, wherein the control logic is configured to process an audio signal to be output by one or more of the speaker transducer or the further speaker transducer based on the magnetic sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode.

3. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the control logic configured to process an audio signal is configured to: receive an audio signal to be output; determine a first gain and a further gain based on the sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode; apply the first gain to the audio signal and output the first gain audio signal to the speaker transducer; and apply the further gain to the audio signal and output the further gain audio signal to the further speaker transducer.

4. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the control logic configured to process an audio signal is configured to: receive an audio signal to be output; determine a first frequency filter and a further frequency filter based on the sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode; apply the first frequency filter to the audio signal and output the first filtered audio signal to the speaker transducer; and apply the further frequency filter to the audio signal and output the further filtered audio signal to the further speaker transducer.

5. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer is a microphone transducer directed in the first orientation, and the at least one further transducer is a further microphone transducer directed in an orientation opposite the first orientation, wherein the control logic is configured to process an audio signal received by one or more of the microphone transducer or the further microphone transducer based on the sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode.

6. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the control logic configured to process an audio signal is configured to: receive an audio signal from one or more of the microphone transducer or the further microphone transducer; determine a first gain and a further gain based on the sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode; apply the first gain to the audio signal received from the microphone transducer; and apply the further gain to the audio signal received from the further microphone transducer.

7. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the control logic configured to process an audio signal is configured to: receive an audio signal from one or more of the microphone transducer or the further microphone transducer; determine a first frequency filter and a further frequency filter based on the sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode; apply the first frequency filter to the audio signal received from the microphone transducer; and apply the further frequency filter to the audio signal received from the further microphone transducer.

8. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer directed in a first orientation is configured to be at least partially covered by the first housing part or the second housing part when the first housing part and the second housing part lie facing each other, and wherein the control logic for controlling the at least one transducer and the at least one further transducer based on the at least one sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode is configured to: switch to the at least one further transducer when the at least one sensor determines the peripheral device is in the closed mode; and switch to the at least one transducer when the at least one sensor determines the peripheral device is in the open mode.

9. The peripheral device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control logic is configured to thereby control a voice or video call that is conducted over a packet-based network from the user terminal using a communication client application.

10. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device does not comprise any display screen.

11. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the control logic comprises embedded software and an embedded processor arranged to run the embedded software, and wherein the software is arranged to run on an embedded operating system having no presentation layer.

12. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device takes the form of a docking station, wherein at least one of the first housing part and the second comprise a physical interface which is exposed when the peripheral device is in the open mode and the peripheral device forms a stand for the user terminal, the physical interface being arranged to form a connection with the user terminal when the user terminal when docked with the docking station.

13. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a magnetic sensor in the first housing part configured to determine the proximity of at least one magnet located in the second housing part.

14. The peripheral device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is located on a rim of the first housing part and the at least one magnet is located on a rim of the second housing part such that the at least one magnet is located in proximity to the at least one magnetic sensor when the first housing part and the second housing part lie adjacent to each other.

15. The peripheral device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is located on a flat side of the first housing part and the at least one magnet is located on a flat side of the second housing part such that the at least one magnet is located in proximity to the at least one magnetic sensor when the first housing part and the second housing part are lie facing each other.

16. The peripheral device of claim 1 , wherein one of the first housing part or second housing part comprises an electrical connector such that when the first housing part and the second housing are in the open mode, the first housing part and the second housing part form the stand and expose the electrical connector for mounting the user device.

17. The peripheral device of claim 16 , wherein the other of the first housing part or second housing part comprises a recess such that when the first housing part and the second housing are in the closed mode, the first housing part and the second housing part are lie facing each other and the electrical connector lies within the recess and is shielded from physical damage.

18. A method comprising: operating a peripheral device for use with a user terminal, the peripheral device comprising: a first housing part flexibly coupled to a second housing part of the peripheral device wherein the peripheral device is operable in an open mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie adjacent to each other such that the peripheral device forms a stand for the user terminal, and a closed mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie facing each other; determining, using at least one sensor, whether the peripheral device is operating in the open mode or the closed mode; controlling the at least one transducer and the at least one further transducer based on the at least one sensor determining whether the peripheral device is in the open mode or the closed mode, the at least one transducer directed in a first orientation for operation in the closed mode, and the at least one further transducer, and the at least one further transducer directed in a second orientation for operation in the open mode.

19. A system comprising: a device with a first housing part and a second housing part flexibly coupled to one another, the device configured to be operated in an open mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie adjacent to each other and a closed mode wherein the first housing part and the second housing part lie facing each other; one or more processors; and one or more storage media storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including: determining, using at least one sensor in the first housing part or the second housing part, whether the device is operating in the open mode or the closed mode; controlling a first transducer based on a determination that the device is in the open mode; and controlling a second transducer based on a determination that the device is in the closed mode.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the first transducer is a first microphone transducer directed in a first orientation of the first housing, and the second transducer is a second microphone transducer directed in a second orientation different than the first orientation, wherein the operations further include processing an audio signal received by one or more of the first microphone transducer or the second microphone transducer based on a sensor determining whether the device is in the open mode or the closed mode.